Water ski rack



p 8, 1970 N. D. SOKOLOW 3,527,354

WATER SKI RACK I Filed March 7",. 1968 FIG.2 ,2;

I N V E N TOR. Noero/v D. .S'axaww ATTORNEKS United States Patent O 3,527,354 WATER SKI RACK Norton D. Sokolow, 3729 Woodclilf Road, Sherman Oaks, Calif. 91403 Filed Mar. 7, 1968, Ser. No. 711,241 Int. Cl. A47f 7/00, /12

US. Cl. 211---60 4 Claims ABSTRACT OF THE DISCLOSURE A water ski rack including a pair of vertical posts fastened together by telescopical horizontal rods. The posts include a plurality of pairs of aligned pegs which are pivotable from a lowered ski supporting position to a raised retracted position. The upper portion of the posts are in the form of hooks for being received over the gun- Wale of a boat to suspend the rack therefrom along the inside wall of the cockpit of the boat.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION Field of the invention The present invention relates to water ski racks.

Description of the prior art There are no ski racks known to applicant which are adjustable to difierent lengths and include ski receiving pegs which are pivotable to a retracted position when not in use.

SUMMARY The present invention is characterized by a pair of vertical posts mounting pairs of horizontally aligned pegs which are individually pivotable from a ski receiving position to a raised retracted position. The posts are connected together by telescopical rods which may be adjusted to space the posts at selected distances from one another for receiving different length skis on said pegs.

'Other objects and features of the invention will become apparent from consideration of the following description taken in connection with the accompanying drawing.

DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWING FIG. 1 is a perspective view of a ski rack embodying the present invention;

FIG. 2 is an end view of the ski rack shown in FIG. 1, such rack being shown supported by the gunwale of a boat;

FIG. 3 is a horizontal sectional view, in enlarged scale, taken along the lines 3-3 of FIG. 1;

FIG. 4 is a horizontal sectional view, in enlarged scale, taken along the lines 4-4 of FIG. 1; and

FIG. 5 is a perspective view similar to FIG. 1 and showing water skis stored on the rack.

DESCRIPTION OF PREFERRED EMBODIMENT The ski rack of present invention includes a pair of horizontally spaced apart vertical posts P and P which are connected together by a pair of horizontal telescopical rods R and R, such rods being adjustable to adapt the rack to hold different length skis. The posts P and P mount a plurality of pairs of ski receiving pegs 11 which are rotatable between a lowered ski receiving position, shown in solid lines in FIG. 2, and a retracted position shown in broken lines in FIG. 2.

The posts P and P include swivel hooks H and H on their upper extremities, respectively, for being received over a gunwale 10. Referring to FIG. 3 hooks H and H each include 90 degree elbows 13 which are pivotally connected to the posts P and P by means of internal couplings 15 having a pair of longitudinally spaced apart "ice peripheral dimples 16 and 17 for cooperatively interfitting similar dimples 18 and 19 in the respective posts and elbows. Vinyl tubes 21 and 23 are installed over the elbows 13 to provide padding whereby the gunwale will be protected from damage by the hooks H and H.

Tubes 25 and 27 have their one extremity telescoped into the elbows 13, and telescopically receive acute elbows 29 over their respective opposite extremities. The acute elbows 29 are also covered with vinyl tubes 33 and 35 to pad them and prevent damage to the gunwale 15. Referring to FIG. 3, a compression spring 39 extends through the tubes 25 and 27 and connects on its opposite ends to clips 41 and 43 pressed out of the elbows 13 and 29, respectively.

Referring to FIGS. 1 and 4, the horizontal connecting rods R and R include female tubes 45 and 47, respectively, connected on their respective one ends wtih the post P. Male tubes 49* and 51 are connected on their one ends with the post P and have their other ends received telescopically within the respective tubes 45 and 47. The tubes 45, 47, 49 and 51 include longitudinally spaced bores 55 for selectively receiving an adjustment pin 57 whereby the male tubes 49 and 51 can be telescoped to selected positions within the respective female tubes 45 and 47 and the pin 57 inserted to maintain the selected spacing of the posts P and P.

In operation, the ski rack is mounted on a gunwale 15 by pulling the elbows 29 and 31 outwardly away from the respective posts P and P, against the tension of the springs 39 to fit the hooks H and H over the upper edge of such gunwale. The elbows 29 and 31 are then released to enable the springs to telescope the elbows 17, 19, 29 and 31 on the tubes 25 and 27, thereby causing the hooks H and H to firmly grip the upper edge of the gunwale 15. The swivel characteristic of the hooks H and H on the respective posts P and P, along with the independent telescopical adjustment of the indvidual hooks H and H, accommodates the longitudinal curvature of different gunwales 10. The number of pegs 11 to be utilized for holding skis S are then rotated down into the position shown in solid lines in FIG. 2 and the skis S positioned thereon. The rack may be easily adjusted to other selected lengths for receiving different length skis S by merely removing the adjustment pins 57 and telescoping the rods R and R to the newly selected lengths.

From the foregoing it will be apparent that the ski rack of present invention is economical to manufacture and provides a convenient means for storing skis in a boat or other desired locations while such skis are not in use. The ski rack is easily adjustable to receive different length skis and the ski receiving pegs which are not in use can easily be individually rotated to their retracted position to avoid danger of passengers in the boat 'bumping there against and causing injury to their persons.

Various modifications and changes may be made with regard to the foregoing detailed description without departing from the spirit of the invention or the scope of the following claims.

I claim:

1. A water ski rack to be mounted in the cockpit of a boat having a gunwale, said ski rack comprising:

a pair of horizontally spaced apart vertically extending posts;

a horizontally extending hook disposed at the upper end of each of said posts for supporting engagement with the gunwale of said boat;

a plurality of pairs of aligned pegs pivotally mounted on said posts at vertically spaced portions thereon, with said pegs being pivotable between a lowered ski-holding position and a raised retracted position; and

horizontal rod means connecting said posts, said rod means being adjustably telescoped to maintain said posts spaced selected distances apart.

2. A water ski rack to be mounted in the cockpit of a boat having a gunwale, said ski rack comprising:

a pair of horizontally spaced apart vertically extending posts; a pair of hooks extending rear-wardly from the upper 4. A ski rack as set forth in claim 3 wherein said hooks include padding for protecting said gunwale from damage by said hooks.

extremity of said respective posts and formed with downwardly turned portions, said hooks being telescopical for being adjusted to receive gunwales of various thicknesses and including biasing means to maintain said downwardly turned portions biased towards said posts and gripping said wall;

a plurality of pairs of aligned pegs pivotally mounted 15 References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS on said posts at vertically spaced portions thereon, 2 ggg with said pegs being pivotable between a lowered 2854292 9/1958 Schaei'f; F X ski-holding position and a raised retracted position; 3078952 2/1963 Kelling 182 150 and .v r horizontal rod means connecting said posts. 20 Q 3. A water ski rack to be mounted in the cockpit of a 217 035 gf i i e n m.

boat having a gunwale, said ski rack comprising:

a pair of horizontally spaced apart vertically extending posts; a horizontally extending hook for engagement with 25 said gunwale disposed at the upper end of each of said posts, said hooks being adjustable for varying JAMES A. LEPPINK, Primary Examiner US. Cl. X.R. 

